Never in a million years did I believe that Naruto and Sasuke would be assigned an Anbu mission together, the two can barely get along for a simple training exercise. Yet here they are, Naruto blabbering about their upcoming classified mission. But they aren't the only two on the team thank goodness, Shikamaru and Kakashi are going with them as well. Apparently it's about a lead on 'The Masters' which is a good thing, those disgusting creeps.

It's been about a month since the last mission, slowly but surely things have gotten back to normal. Sasuke and I have developed a routine for the most part Tuesday nights we have an upstanding dinner date with my parents, which my dad has started to enjoy, on Saturday nights we try to have a date night if our friends don't interrupt us. At home we've settled on an unofficial routine, I wash clothes and cook while he cleans and takes care of any repairs. If he has early morning missions, I make sure to give him space so he can concentrate. It's been nice having him home for the most part but I knew this was going to happen.

My office is getting crowded as Kakashi sensei joins us and starts to mess with my bookcase. He always mentions that my reading is serious and I need to lighten up, no thank you I'm not going to read porn all the time. Sasuke has been quiet for the most part, reading over his scroll, he's always quiet, but today it seems like something is bothering him. I'll have to find out what we return home tonight.

"Are you paying attention Sakura?" I shake my head and look up at my sensei. Truth be told I wasn't listening at all; I'm finishing all of my reports for Tsunade. The chunin exams are in two weeks and I still need to approve everyone, which they all are cleared but to be formal I have to do this.

"Oh sorry sensei. What were you saying?" Slightly embarrassed but I wave it off as Naruto continues his rant.

"Tsunade wants you to come by her office. There's some details she wants to discuss with you." Oh yeah, I completely forgot that she wanted to ask me something. I stand from my desk gathering the reports I have finished, but I'll just verbally report that they are all cleared. Walking over to Sasuke, I place a small kiss on his head and leave the room while Naruto yells at me to come back. I can feel Sasuke's cheeks getting warm from the hallway, Kakashi is going to give him a hard time about that.

Nurses are finishing their rounds as I enter Tsunade's office and place the stack down on her desk. That earns a groan from the Hokage and I giggle at her childish antics.

"They all are cleared. I just haven't finished writing the written reports." I take a seat across from her and watch as she pulls them into a drawer shutting it loudly. The chunin exams are always a big ordeal and there's months of planning that goes into it, no wonder she's so stressed.

"There's something that I want to ask you."

"What is it shishou?" If it wasn't for Tsunade, I don't know what I would be doing now. Her training and mentoring are the only reasons why I can somewhat manage to stay in the front with Naruto and Sasuke.

"I want you to be a proctor in the Chunin exams. This year we are going to reuse the Forest of Death, but we want to make sure everyone is safe." My heart starts to beat out of my chest and I feel like puking. I haven't stepped foot into that forest ever since my exams, that's where everything started to fall apart. My eyes start to sting but I make sure they don't fall; I've always been too quick to cry. It's an honor to be chosen as a proctor.

"I understand if you don't want to." Her voice lowers since she knows she's hit a nerve mentioning the forest. While I was studying under her, I filled her in on the entire situation. It's no wonder they haven't been held there in almost ten years.

"No shishou, it's an honor to be apart of the exams. I accept your offer." I offer her a confident smile and she laughs at my response.

"Good. Shizune will be running the medical corps on the outside, healing nay contestants that complete their mission. You will be in charge of any major injuries, like what you experienced, but it has to be life or death. I don't want anyone to get too carried away in there."

"I understand Tsunade. No genin should have to experience what we went through." The chunin exams are to prove that genin are able to make decisions and complete their mission. Injuries are inevitable but when it comes to borderline death, that's not acceptable.

"Now I know we just did a physical exam but since you are sexually active, we have to do this as a formality to ensure that you are able to do this. It's just a quick exam that we can do in the next room." I know all too well the rules and requirements for this, I mean I am second in command of the hospital. I watch as she stands from her desk and exits the door just to go into the next room. My feet carry me and I sit down on the chair and hold out my arm. A blood sample has to be taken to ensure that everything is fine and she can run whatever tests she wants as well. The initial stab feels like a shock but it's over before the spot starts to hurt.

"I'll have all of the test ran. It should be down in about twenty minutes." Tsunade places the vial into the machine and it begins to work its magic. We've been developing faster methods of testing with the technology department. Being able to detect any sickness or viruses faster makes healing quicker too. Most of the medics we have are trained to heal battle injuries, but some aren't fully trained in bacterial viruses or disease. This makes everything go so much smoother.

"Have you assigned the other proctors yet?" There's a tension in the air from the waiting, both of us aren't so patient. I also want to know who I will be assigned with.

"Ino, Sai and possibly Naruto and Sasuke. If their mission runs too long, then we will need two others." So there is a chance they could miss the exams, I don't know if that is a bad thing though. Naruto tend to overreact when painful memories are brought up and this is where Sasuke was tainted by the curse mark. It could be too much for them to handle. A beeping catches both of our attention and the tests are complete, a sheet is printed off and I see her eyes stare intensely at the words.

"No way…" Her voice trails off as she stares in disbelief. I rise from my chair and pull the paper from her hands. Everything is reading negative or normal, until my eyes land on the last test ran.

Pregnancy Test: Positive

My jaw drops as I reread the same three words at least a hundred times. I bring my eyes up to meet Tsunade's and the tears are starting to stream down my face, the paper falls to the floor as Tsunade pulls me into a tight embrace. My tears drench her shoulder and my body is shaking from the sobs.

"We just…started…to get back…to…normal." I say between sobs and her hand is rubbing calming circles on my back. Sasuke and I haven't even talked about children yet, we haven't really talked since I was sick. The timing couldn't be worse but I've always wanted a family, and I know that Sasuke has wanted that as well. I try to calm myself and back away from my shishou's embrace.

"Is he being good to you Sakura? Because I swear I'll beat him into next week." Shaking my head violently I reassure her that nothing is wrong. The last thing I need is for them to level half of the village. I bend down to pick up the paper and fold it to hide my test results.

"Does this mean I can't proctor?" I was excited about doing this, but now everything is going to change.

"Not really. I know that you are more than capable of protecting yourself and the baby. You are my student after all." A warm reassuring smile spreads across her face and I hug her once again. She's been like my second mother for so long now, I hate to let her down.

"Looks like you need to tell daddy dearest." I slap my forehead softly. That was easier said than done. Sasuke was in a strange mood earlier and this could set him off completely.

"But how about we get a picture to show him instead of a list." A wiggle in her brows causes me to giggle and I follow her down towards the maternity ward. At least Sasuke will be able to see the baby.

The ultrasound pictures are tucked in my bag along with the test results. Today I'm taking my time walking home as I people watch, genin are buying new tools for their upcoming exams and the new graduates are trying to prove their skills. It's nostalgic to watch them, it takes me back to when I bought my gear. My mom and dad were worried sick for days, every night I would come home with fresh nicks on my fingers from throwing shuriken. In the end it was worth it and I even mastered a few techniques.

My feet echo off the porch steps and I open the front door, revealing Sasuke, Naruto, Kakashi and Shikamaru sitting in the living room with scrolls scattered everywhere. There goes my idea of talking with him over dinner, looks like they still have hours of preparing.

"Hey Sakura! Sorry to mess up the living room." Naruto shouts as Shikamaru is planning an assault, I shouldn't be listening but Tsunade would fill me in anyways since I'm the medic assigned to them. Sasuke looks over the couch and offers me a small smirk, I know that there's something wrong but right now isn't the time to discuss it.

"It's okay Naruto. I have some work to do anyways." I retreat to my bedroom to change from my work clothes, opening the door I stop to admire the new addition to our room. It seems that Sasuke thought the weather was nice enough to open the doors that lead out to the porch. A white table and two chairs are right outside the doors and the curtains are flowing in the breeze. Instead of sitting on the bed like I planned, I move over to the new chairs. Pulling a book from my bag I start to read through the pages.

About an hour later I hear the door open and Sasuke comes walking over to me. There's a sad aura coming from him as he slowly sits beside me. I reach out to him and grab ahold of his wrist, his eyes never meeting mine.

"What's wrong Sasuke?" It's taking everything in me not to jump on him and kiss away his problems. A sigh escapes from him as he sinks further into the chair, his free hand running through his long raven hair.

"This mission." He's upset about a mission? That's new and so unlike Sasuke.

"What about the mission?" Its like pulling teeth, he never lets too much information out.

"Something about this doesn't feel right. It feels like a setup." I've had that feeling before, it's unsettling as a ninja to know that you are walking into a trap. But in order to complete the mission you have to do what's necessary.

"The others know too. It's just bugging me for some reason."

"I understand. Did Tsunade talk to you about the chunin exams?"

"If I get back in time, I'll be a proctor along with you and Naruto." His head turns towards me and I notice his dark orbs are dull, as if he's been without sleep for days. This mission is causing him to stress more than normal and if there's one thing I've learned over the years, if Sasuke Uchiha is worried about a mission then you know it's bad. But his abilities are beyond incredible so there shouldn't be too much to worry about.

Now would be as good a time as any, I push back my nerves as my hand leaves his and reaches for my bag. The pictures are inside the folded piece of paper and I can feel his eyes staring at me intently. His curiosity is spiked and I place the paper in my lap covering it with both hands.

"Sasuke I don't really know how to say it, but…" I pass the paper over to him. I highlighted the pregnancy results and taped the pictures over the other results. Sasuke's not the only bad with words when it comes to situations. My eyes are glued on him as I watch him unfold the paper. Black turns to red and his body stays still like a statue, my fingers start to fidget as I wait for something to be said.

"Sasuke…" I move from my chair and kneel in front of him trying to look at his face. His hands shake as he lowers the paper down and looks deep into my eyes. Before I register what's happening, Sasuke falls from his seat and engulf me into a tight embrace. A few tears run down my face as I feel him start to kiss the side of my head. We stay like this for what seems like hours, I move back and his hands reaches down to my stomach. Butterflies flutter in my stomach as our foreheads are pressed together.

"Thank you Sakura." I can't help but gasp as I'm pulled back into our embrace. I wish this moment would never end but there are three other ninja standing in our living room waiting on Sasuke to return.

"I think you should go back to your planning. You know how Naruto gets." A deep chuckle escapes from him and a kiss on my forehead causes me to blush. Sasuke knows that our moment is almost over. I kiss his lips as he moves away and it only deeps into a needy kiss, my hands burry into his hair. A hand rests on my back and pulls me closer to his chest, my desire for him starts to burn and I try to move closer to him. Before I can climb on top of him, a knock comes from the door and I back away sheepishly.

"Hey teme! You coming back or what?" It was about time for him to show up, he wants to go home just as bad as I want him to leave. Tonight was supposed to go a little differently, oh well.

"I guess you need to go. I need to get dinner stared anyways." Sasuke stands and helps me to my feet, the photo and paper sitting gently on the table. As he leaves my side, I can't help but pick up the picture and carry it with me. The boys have started planning again and run upstairs to put the sensitive information on my desk. It's too early to let anyone else know but in a few months I can let them in on the secret.

My feet are loud against the hardwood as I hear them laughing from the room, curiosity has taken over and I peek in on them. It seems that their meeting is just about finished as Shikamaru is packing away the maps and scrolls. Naruto is lounging back and messing with a kunai, spinning it around his finger. Smiling I go into my quiet kitchen and start to make an easy dinner, nothing too fancy since tomorrow is going to be a long day.

I stir the soup in the pot and I hear a crash come from the other room, after that a groan from Naruto. Someone stomps into the kitchen and I smell a small trance of iron.

"Sakura I cut my finger because your husband is a jerk." He can be a jerk but something tells me that Naruto was being a klutz and slipped with kunai.

"There's a kit in my office. Go grab it, I'm not wasting chakra on a cut." Naruto stares at me blankly and turns around stomping off like a child. Reaching for the rice, I feel two bodies come into the room. I don't need to turn around to know that Sasuke and Kakashi are sitting at the table watching my every move.

"Did Shikamaru leave already?" A grunt is my answer, looks like sensei and the loudmouth will be staying for dinner. Good thing I already made enough. A thud brings all of our attention to the ceiling and Naruto comes crashing down the stairs into the room. My kit is in one hand but in the other is a white piece of paper…fuck.

Sasuke's eyes see the paper then his eyes cut over to me, he's not angry but he is upset. I was too occupied while I was cooking, I mentally smack myself. I can't peel my eyes away from my friend as my brain goes blank. Sasuke and I just found out, I wanted to keep this as our secret for a little longer. Looks like Team 7 has another secret from everyone else. The clearing of a throat causes me to blink and look over to the grey haired man.

"Something you want to tell us?" Naruto turns to paper so everyone in the room can observe the images. My entire body is screaming at me to run but there's nowhere for me to hide. Sasuke and I glance back to each other, this time a slight anger crosses his face. I turn back to the stove and start to form the rice into perfect balls, my body tensing with each passing second.

"Naruto they don't have to tell us anything." Kakashi states as a fact. At least he's trying to reason with the blonde.

"Like hell. We are a team and this is big news." A pang of guilt hits me. Naruto isn't angry that I'm pregnant, he's angry that I didn't tell him. The tension in the room quickly dissipates and I finish my task at hand. Portioning out four plates, I start to set the table and Naruto decides to join the others instead of arguing. Sasuke gets up and starts to make a pot of tea, I pat my sensei on the shoulder and take my seat. My eyes never leaving the paper that is now in Kakashi's hands, I feel giddy from nerves. This entire time Kakashi has been calm and quiet, which is normal but it feels odd this time.

Once Sasuke returns to the table and I try to offer him a smile to calm him, but it doesn't seem to work. His hand snatches the photo from Kakashi's hands and places it in his lap. Whoa talk about irritated.

"I just found out today. That's why you don't know." The food on my plate doesn't look appetizing as the others begin to enjoy their meal, one of the first symptoms of pregnancy. Here soon I'll have to endure morning sickness.

"Are you still going to help with the exams?" So Kakashi already knew why I was wanted in the office. Doesn't surprise me honestly, though this is something I haven't discussed with Sasuke yet. Speaking of which, his eyes are glaring at me waiting for my answer.

"Tsunade cleared me. I'll be watching from a distance so there's not much danger." That's when Sasuke's eyes turn blood red, thanks Kakashi.

"Have you lost your mind? The last time we were in that forest we all got our asses kick." Looks like Naruto has joined the anti-Sakura group. Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I can't do my duty. The vein on my forehead starts to pop out slightly and I can feel my blood start to boil, I haven't spent most of my life training and honing my skills just to be sidelined the first day I find out I'm going to be a mom.

"This isn't your decision. If Sakura feels up to it, then there's nothing we can do. Tsunade has already cleared it so that's that. Just means we need to finish our mission sooner so you two can help out." Score. At least Kakashi is on my side for this one. I try to take a bite of my rice but it doesn't settle right. I put it back down and notice that my teammates are still glaring at me, Sasuke's knuckles are turning white from how hard he's tightening his fist.

"It is my decision. Sakura is my wife and that's my child." The table shakes from his scooting back his chair and he disappears. The door slams shut upstairs and the ceiling rattles from the force. He may be slightly scary when he's angry but that's nothing compared to mine.

"Look Naruto, I'm not going to stop my life because of this. I'm a medic ninja and I can take care of myself and my baby."

"I know Sakura. I'm excited for you two but you know I still worry about you. That forest messed us up even more than we thought back then." His blue eyes are sad as he plays with his food like a child. At least he is happy for us.

"I'll go talk with Sasuke, you two need to talk." Naruto stalks out of the room and heads straight up for Sasuke, leaving Kakashi and I along. At least he's been on my side for the entire conversation.

"Sasuke's just afraid. He's had everything he's loved taken away from him before." The tears start to fall down my face, my fist balling in my lap. Kakashi's words have seeped into my bones. He's lost everything before. Me stepping into that forest will only give him more reasons to worry about that. At least once a week after he left, I would dream of stopping Sasuke's cruse mark for the first time.

"Just give him time to breath okay Sakura? I promise everything will be fine after a while." A smile appears under his mask and I try to stop the sobs coming from my body. That's what we do best, we always come back together and try to fix things. Nodding my head, the back of my hands wipe the tears from my face and I offer him a smile.

"I'll help clean up." My sensei stands and starts to clean up the discarded plates, the boys managed to eat most of their meal before leaving. I move slowly and gather the remaining items and load them into the dishwasher. Kakashi walks behind me and takes the paper and sticks it to the fridge with a magnet that was already there.

After everything downstairs is cleaned up, I walk Kakashi to the door and he pats me on the shoulder. He's right, things will go back to normal after a long talk. Shutting the door, I retreat to the safety of my bathroom. I need to wash off the stress of the day.

Once my head hits the pillow, I feel my body relax into the soft sheets. The day is coming to an end but tomorrow I have to work an eighteen-hour shift, at least Ino will be there tomorrow to keep me company. There's so much that needs to be finished and coordinated before next week, I still don't even know when they leave for their mission. Hopefully they will be back in time to participate with me, it would be nice to have them there with me.

I feel Sasuke's chakra come towards the room, Naruto must be leaving. I close my eyes and try to steady my breathing. The lights don't flick on but I can hear him throwing his clothes roughly towards the closet, a shift in the bed causes me to slightly move towards the center. I figure that he will have his back towards me and tonight will be spent away. My hand moves down to the front of my stomach and I stroke the skin softly, nine months in a long time but I can't wait to hold this sweet baby.

My eyes open wide as an arm drapes over my stomach, a hand resting on top of mine. A tug makes me roll over to meet him face to face, his eyes are soft and gentle. I try to speak but he keeps me quiet by placing a chaste kiss on my lips.

"I know I can't stop you. But for the sake of my sanity, if I'm not there with you please have Ino or Sai beside you at all times." He sounds desperate, and the crack in his voice makes my heart tighten. I move closer and return the kiss softly, it's nice to see Sasuke worried.

"Then you make sure you get back in time. When do you leave?"

"In the morning." I was expecting that answer, at least there's a chance he will be home early enough to join me. Closing my eyes, I move closer into his warmth. I realize I'm drained from the drama of the day, a sigh comes from me and I feel his arms encase me entirely. This was my safe place, no matter how much we argue and try to hurt the other, we always come back and make it better.